Two more days at the time of writing this post will be Christmas Day. The most celebrated event in the whole world by the Christian community.

Having been raised in a predominated Catholic country in Asia, my country celebrates the longest Christmas (I believe) in the whole world. At the beginning of September, Christmas carols are being played in the radio, malls and other public places. Christmas decorations are being put up in most homes, offices and other business establishments.  People starts to buy Christmas gifts for their love ones and a lot of Christmas sale promos can be found in most of the shops inside the malls. Flea markets are also crowded with shoppers and vendors  with all of their Christmas goods offering different kinds of promotions and bargains.

Image by paparutzi via Flickr

In the workforce, it is mandated by the Philippine government for all companies to give a 13th month pay to all of their employees. Some companies give the same as early as November, some in the middle of December to catch up with the Christmas preparations. Other generous companies also give Christmas bonuses aside from the 13th month pay to share with their employees the “giving” spirit of Christmas.

During this time of the year, expect children to be knocking your doors in the evening to sing Christmas carols. In return, the home owner would give a few coins or sweets and the children would feast on it. There are also adults doing the same for the cause of raising funds for some charitable organization and there are some who are doing it for personal purposes.

Image via Wikipedia

The question that has been in my mind for the past years, if “giving” is one of the spirit of Christmas, why there are people using this event for their personal interest, coming to your doors and asking for Christmas gifts. With the kids, I don’t see anything wrong with them singing Christmas carols to receive something, they are just having fun. But with the adults, if they are propagating the “giving” Christmas spirit, they should come to “give” and not to “beg”. It is also the same with some friends, neighbors and acquaintances, they will come to you and will ask for their Christmas gifts as if one is obliged to buy gifts for them. When would it happen that one person will knock your door, wish you Merry Christmas and at the same time give a small gift to share the love of Christ as they claim to be the spirit of Christmas?

Is Christmas “giving”? or simply “begging”? or “extorting”?

When my children were younger I made the decision (just like many other parents do) to tell my children about Santa Claus.  I would read them the story “Twas the night before Christmas” and leave cookies and milk out for Santa on Christmas eve.  I would even leave carrots out on the porch for the reindeer.  Of course I knew that they wouldn’t believe in him forever, every child figures it out at some point.  However, I never imagined that it would be a teacher that told them.

I remember when I realized that Santa Claus wasn’t real, I may have been nine or ten if that.  Even without being told I knew that it wasn’t my place to tell my younger sister.  I don’t think that anyone has the right to take that belief away from a child.  Understandably parents are very upset with the way their children’s schools have handled the situation.  

I sometimes find myself in the wrong mood when the holidays arrive.  I think about what is wrong with my life instead of what I can be thankful for.  I am resolute in my desire to make this holiday season a good one, and I have made five promises to myself to ensure this.  We all make New Year’s Resolutions, but perhaps “Christmas Resolutions” might also be appropriate.  In the spirit of making the holidays meaningful, my intentions for Christmas are as follows:

1.  I will enjoy the moment.  The moments we so often take for granted will someday come to an end.  Families lose members to age and illness every year.  Parents get older and will someday no longer be with us.  Children grow and begin their own lives—lives that often take them away from us.  Every moment is precious and should be fully appreciated.

2.   I will be thankful for what I have.  It is easy to get caught up in what is wrong with our lives and forget about the good things.  Life could be better for all of us, but there are many people worse off than we are.  I recognized how blessed I am in so many ways, and I will not forget that—especially during the holidays.

3.  I will give a gift to someone anonymously.  I have intended for months to give a gift to someone without recognition.  A very special person will hopefully have a nicer Christmas through my efforts.  I will not see my gift opened or used, but I will know I did something to make the holidays better.

4.  I will remember those who are no longer in my life.  It is not Memorial Day, but I will visit two gravesites on Christmas morning before beginning my holiday celebration.  My brother and closest friend are no longer here to enjoy Christmas with me, but I will not forget them.

5.  I will use technology to deliver holiday greetings.  I enjoy sending and receiving Christmas cards in the mail, but cards are no longer the only options for connecting with loved ones over the holidays.  Facebook, email, and text messaging are only a few of the options now available for communicating with family and friends.  I will take time to wish others a happy holiday.

If I can remember these five promises, the spirit of the holidays will flourish within me.  I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2011.  Happy holidays.

My understanding of the Christmas Spirit is the day Christ was born. We celebrate this by giving gifts to symbolize this. This is suppose to be a joyous time of year..

People who celebrate Christmas sometimes go all out with the decorations, gift giving and feasting.

With all the strife in the world right now I strongly believe we need to think what these holidays really are for. Not who gets the most gifts, but the purpose. I know a lot of people are having problems with job loss and other such worries.

A Few Suggestions : Instead of buying several gifts you cannot afford, make something. Things that come from the heart can mean more than something you buy.

Make some of your own ornaments. I know several families who do this anyway.

Take something to those who cannot afford things themselves. I have done this. Even though times are tough it helps to help someone else in need.

Do You Believe in Santa Claus. I know that when I got to a certain age I was told Santa did not exist. I was devastated.

Something happened one year that made me wonder about the Spirit of Santa Claus.

When I was about 14 we were gone when we returned home there were wrapped gifts in front of our door. I know that parents sometimes put gifts out while children are asleep, however we were together. I never learned who gave us those gifts.

Then when I was about 19 the same thing happened this time I checked the handwriting I did not recognized it. Someone had also entered us in a shopping spree. We never learned who did that either.

So even though I know that they guy in the red suit is not supposed to exist and I know he didn’t leave the gifts, I do believe in the Spirit of Santa and the spirit of giving.

Christmas is a hot political issue this year, as it was last year, because not everyone celebrates it. Some people have decided that it could be offensive to someone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas to have to deal with the cacophony of advertisements for ways you can buy the love of your friends and family, or the greetings of overly exuberant well-wishers.

Bahh Humbug! I’m offended by all the mess around this season too and I’m a Christian. Not that I hate Christmas. I just hate what it’s become. I don’t like getting emails from politically active Evangelical Christians trying to telling me which politician, or school official, or chain store, or TV network has decided to puss-out and use “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Let them be pansies if they want to.

Why are People who won’t say Merry Christmas Pansies?

Because they aren’t worried about offending people. It isn’t because of law suits. Evangelicals would buy any store clean for getting sewed by an atheist over Christmas. And the Jehovah’s Witnesses haven’t celebrated Christmas in years and no body gave a rat’s ass. It’s only been an issue since 9/11/2001. Retailers and school officials are scared of people with bombs who don’t celebrate Christmas. Pansies!

Christmas Past

It also annoys me when Christians say, “Jesus is the reason for the season,” or “we are going to retake Christmas.” I hate to brake it too you but Christ wasn’t born on December 25. Bible history scholars argue about whether our Lord was born in April or September. It’s not rocket science, the sheep had to be out, the taxes were taken, and it was a certain type of holiday season. If the wise men were Zoroastrian astrologers then the stars would have lead them to Bethlehem in April.

So who’s birthday was it? Rah the Egyptian sun god, actually. That’s his traditional birthday. Many accounts lead it all the way back to the cult of Nimrod (of tower of Babel fame).

The reality is that most of our modern “Christian” holidays come from the Roman Catholic Church*, when Emperor Constantine created a new hybrid religion out of Christianity and “Pagan” religions. There is no biblical backing for any of them. Non-Christian historians are well aware of this and regularly make fun of us for it.

The biblical holidays are all Jewish and that won’t work for old Rome, the Jews weren’t trusted any more than the Christians had been. They laid out the calendar based on their existing one, with all the holidays where they had been. They just came out with different reasons for them.

Am I lobbying against Christmas? No, read on.

(*note: one exception is Halloween. That comes from the Celtic New Year celebration. It’s no more evil than Rah’s birthday.)

Christmas Present

Modern Christmas has become a commercial success. We Christians tell ourselves that it’s ok to pick a day and celebrate Christ’s birthday since we don’t really know when it was. Never mind the fact that there is no biblical president for celebrating Christ’s birth. And when was the last time you went to a Christmas celebration and there was a cake sporting 2,000 candles and the frosting inscription, “happy birthday Jesus?”

Modern Christians suffer from two toxic beliefs that are killing Christmas far more then the Happy Holidays controversy. First is the unbiblical belief that there is a secular and a sacred. The second is that God helps those who help themselves.

If you don’t believe me when I say there is no such thing as secular and sacred then open your bible and find me anywhere that says there is. Good luck. Every aspect of a Christian’s life should be sacred. We don’t just have Christ in our hearts on church day. Tithing 10% was for the Jews–we get to give 100%. All our time is God’s. We work for God and if we get a paycheck it’s from God no matter who’s name is on the signature line.

God doesn’t show his favor on those who work really hard and deserve it. He shows His favor to those who need it. That’s the way of heaven–sacrificial giving, forgiving debts, and thanksgiving. Freely giving!

It’s not wrong for a Christian to keep a job or accumulate wealth, but if we look to that wealth to save us from anything, that’s idolatry.

Christmas Future

If we are going to save Christmas we Christians are going to have to set aside the idea that non-Christians want to have a secular holiday based on a sacred holiday that somebody actually just made up.

The non-Christians are going to have to get past being offended if someone puts up a Merry Christmas sign. Everyone is going to have to get over themselves and celebrate what they believe.

There are two solutions to the issue. One is to switch to a neutral Happy Holidays. That lets you get everyone on one sign. Another solution is to have a sign out for Christmas, Chaanica or whatever anyone is celebrating. Personally, I understand Christians saying to a retailer, “you want me to come into your store and buy millions of gifts for a holiday and you won’t acknowledge what it is?” That’s crap.

If Arabs come up with a world-wide holiday where they buy a couple billion dollars in stuff to give to each other I promise I won’t sue you for acknowledging the name of it in your advertising.

Still, Christians are going to have to lighten up. No one objects to Santa Claus. They are threatened by baby Jesus, I guess. We aren’t wining any converts by shaming the pansies that won’t stand up against terrorists. We won’t quit waving the cross around for fear of being blown up but they don’t get that. So don’t shop where they don’t celebrate Christmas. Wear a big, red sweater that says Merry Christmas on it. Go caroling.

The Real Spirit of Christmas

So what am I saying? What does Christmas look like if it’s sacred to some and secular to others?

The spirit of Christmas is the spirit of giving. If you are secular than it’s having a bearded, omniscient being in a red suit keep track of your every move and then give you a reward based on your behavior. If you’re a Christian it’s a benevolent God who’s willing to give His only son to people who don’t deserve it. The common thread is giving.

We should be thinking about Christmas all year long. When we see something that we know someone would love we could buy it and put it away for Christmas. The problem is that the people you buy it for will buy it too. So if you don’t wait till the last minute you’ll probably have to take it back. Then we all rush around at the last minute and its hell, so we are resentful, etc.

When it comes to kids there is no way around putting yourself in debt on stuff they don’t need. With adults we have a couple options. Something you made yourself will always be good even if it’s just a poem. A coupon for a back rub might be appreciates. Or you might take a person out and spend time doing something you both enjoy. The most important thing is to sit down together at a meal and ketch up on things. Don’t just drop presents off. A family tradition is also important. Maybe it’s going to get the tree or caroling. Maybe it’s drinking eggnog and watching a movie.

Real Holidays last for a few weeks. As much as I can’t stand the way Christmas is crowding out Thanksgiving it’s because of the crass commercialism of it. Giving and thanking shouldn’t just be on a couple days. Visit people you don’t get to see much. Drop a line or a card to people. Bake cookies and invite people over for game night. The biggest gifts you can give each other are time, unconditional love and acceptance. The worst is money.